How I’m Creating My Dream Life Without Burning Out This Summer
A summer ritual for romanticizing the present while expanding into more.
The scorching sun melting tension in my shoulders, a refreshing drink in hand, and the scent of creamy sweet magnolia blooms mixed with freshly cut grass floating in the air are what immediately come to mind when I think of summer.
Despite my distaste for the suffocating heat and humidity that heavily cloaks the South, I always feel romantic about this season. I blame it on 18 years of conditioning. The anticipation of the end of another school year, where freedom and play welcomed us with open arms.
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Even now, without a structured summer break, I still find myself looking forward to the longer, light-filled days.
But Summer isn’t just a time for recreation. It’s also a season that brings things to the surface—a chance to illuminate what’s working in our lives and what might need rewriting. It invites us to step into a more expansive, joyful version of ourselves.
These simple pleasures remind me of the abundance and potential summer holds—an invitation to pause, reflect, and set intentions for the season ahead.
This ritual isn't just about embracing summer; it's about creating a life filled with joy, purpose, and abundance—both now and in the future. It’s about aligning your present actions with your long-term goals and cultivating a sense of deep fulfillment.
The Power of the Solstice
The summer solstice, the longest day of the year and peak of solar energy, holds powerful symbolism across many traditions.
At its core, the summer solstice is a celebration of fullness, abundance, and illumination. It marks an energetic threshold, a turning point. A moment to pause, witness, and recalibrate.
That makes me want to be deeply present and joyful in my current life, to romanticize my day-to-day as much as possible—while also lovingly setting my future self up for success so she can experience fulfillment, security, and gratitude.
Sometimes these two desires feel at odds, but they actually pair well together. After all, it’s in our present moments that we create our future.
That creation, though, requires intention and self-awareness. It requires a clear vision that charts a path toward a destination we actually want to arrive at.
Cultivating this kind of clarity begins with a simple ritual. A pause to reflect, realign, and shine light on what energizes you—both now and in the months ahead.
Let’s dive in.
Before You Begin: Create the Ambiance
Personally, my external environment greatly impacts how I feel. When things are clean, organized, and well designed, I have a much easier (and more enjoyable) time focusing.
In her book, Outer Order, Inner Calm, Gretchen Rubin writes:
“One of the things about happiness that continually surprises me is the degree to which, for most people, outer order contributes to inner calm, and inner self‑command.”
Your environment matters. The space you’re in will help set the tone for your energy and focus. Here’s how to prepare so you can fully enjoy this experience:
Choose a space that feels comfortable and inspiring.
Grab your favorite journal and pen to answer and reflect on the questions below.
Minimize distractions by using 'Do Not Disturb' on your devices.
Light a candle or diffuse essential oils that symbolizes this new season to you.
Play background music—something instrumental and relaxing.
Have a fragrance or essential oil nearby to use for emotional anchoring later.
Now that you've created a sacred space, let's dive into some questions to help you reflect on the past, define your present desires, and envision your future abundance.
Reflect on Spring
To be transparent, Spring was a challenging season for me. I lost my grandfather and my 13-year-old soul-dog, Luna. Loss has a way of cracking you open. As gut-wrenching as grief is, it’s also deepened my capacity for connection. The pain is still there, but I take comfort in knowing I can hold it in one hand and joy in the other.
Journal prompts:
What seeds did you plant this spring?
What's already growing in your life – in your work, your relationships, or within yourself?
What challenges did you face? What lessons did you learn from them?
What abundance are you most grateful for right now?
Define Summer Abundance
To me, abundance feels like trust and looks like taking the best next step forward.
I’m currently building a new business, and it’s as exciting as it is unknown. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the “how” of it all. Instead of letting the uncertainty weigh me down, I’m choosing to trust that one small step at a time will lead me exactly where I’m meant to go.
Journal Prompts:
What would it feel like to fully embrace your potential while working toward your goals?
What does a romanticized, joyful summer day look like for you?
What specific actions can you take to embody and create more abundance in your life?
Romanticize the Present
My husband and I used to ask each other, “What’s an example of your ideal day?” Then we’d plan one that combined both of our versions. Those days have been some of my favorites—full of presence, intention, and fun. I remember falling into bed after one of them, feeling blissfully spent.
That’s the kind of energy I want more of this season.
Journal Prompts:
How can you bring more joy and beauty into your everyday routines?
What simple rituals make you feel alive, connected, and inspired?
What summer bucket list items would bring you the most joy and fulfillment?
What makes your summer feel meaningful?
How can you connect with something larger than yourself, whether it's nature, community, or spirituality?
Gratitude as Magnetic Energy
When I was just starting my business and had no idea what I was doing, I leaned hard on gratitude. I’d journal everything that had worked out so far, along with what I hoped would. It was my way of reminding myself I was supported. That practice helped me build faith—in myself and in something bigger—so I could watch things unfold instead of spiraling in worry.
It’s still one of my go-to practices whenever fear gets loud.
Journal Prompts:
Take a moment to appreciate the abundance that already exists in your life. Write out what worked out for you and allow yourself to feel gratitude fill your body.
What are you most grateful for in this moment?
Imagine the abundance you're calling in – how does it feel? What are you already grateful for about it?
"If you inherently long for something, become it first. If you want gardens, become the gardener. If you want love, embody love. If you want mental stimulation, change the conversation. If you want peace, exude calmness. If you want to fill your world with artists, begin to paint. If you want to be valued, respect your own time. If you want to live ecstatically, find the ecstasy within yourself. This is how to draw it in, day by day, inch by inch."
—Victoria Erickson
Embody It: Ground your intentions in the physical realm.
Earlier this year, I realized I needed a way to remember my intentions—not just mentally, but physically.
So I started using scent to anchor the emotions I wanted to embody. Because scent and emotion are so deeply connected in the brain, I chose a specific fragrance to anchor in the way I wanted to feel. Now, whenever I wear that scent, I’m immediately reminded of who I want to be—confident, present, and calm.
Journal Prompts:
Choose three core feelings you want to embody this summer.
Write a short phrase that encapsulates your intention for the season.
Choose a fragrance that you’ll enjoy wearing this summer.
Apply it, breathe deeply, and imagine those qualities infusing your entire being.
Visualize & Anchor: A Sensory Activation
Visualization is one of the most effective ways to rewire your brain. Neuroscience shows that when you vividly imagine a future scenario, your brain lights up as if it’s actually happening. So when you visualize yourself living your most abundant summer, your subconscious believes it’s real—and starts working behind the scenes to help make it happen.
And when you pair that visualization with a specific scent, the effect is even more powerful.
Smell is directly routed to the limbic system—the part of the brain responsible for emotion, memory, and motivation. That’s why a single whiff of a fragrance can instantly transport you to a moment, feeling, or memory—even more vividly than a photo.
Research shows that when a specific fragrance is paired with an emotional state—like abundance or joy—your brain begins to associate the two. Eventually, the scent alone can bring back that feeling.
So by anchoring your visualization with fragrance, you’re training your body to recall the confidence, joy, and clarity you felt today—anytime you need it.
Apply your scent and then listen to this guided visualizion to anchor in your intentions for the summer:
Take a few breaths and write down what came through.
Bonus: Create a Summer Mood Board
After reflecting, consider creating a summer mood board. Use imagery, colors, words, and textures that reflect your intentions and desires. Keep it somewhere visible—a daily visual anchor for the energy you’re calling in.
Questions to guide your mood board:
What experiences do you want to have with your loved ones this summer?
What imagery represents the way you want to feel this season?
What new skills or knowledge do you want to acquire?
What areas of your life do you want to expand and grow?
I love having visual reminders of my seasonal intentions.
This is a visual and emotional representation of what I’m claiming this summer: a romanticized daily life, rooted in presence and open to expansion for an fulfilling future.
“I was surrounded by friends, my work was immense, and pleasures were abundant. Life, now, was unfolding before me, constantly and visibly, like the flowers of summer that drop fanlike petals on eternal soil.”
— Roman Payne, Rooftop Soliloquy
This summer, may we all find the courage to step into our own light, embrace the abundance that is already ours, and trust the quiet whispers of our hearts.
What is your summer calling you to create?